MARC VIVIEN Foe's dream of playing permanently for Manchester City is not yet in tatters.

The Cameroon World Cup start has repeatedly declared his desire to remain a Blue at the end of his year-long loan spell from Olympic Lyon but must now rely on the French club dropping their é7m asking price.

Foe, who has been a near ever-present during the Blues' successful return to the Premiership, had a heart to heart with boss Kevin Keegan this week as City planned their strategy for attempting to seal the 28-year-old's signature.

A display of the midfielder's commitment to the Maine Road cause came last weekend against Birmingham when he asked to play despite suffering from an energy-sapping bout of tonsillitis.

Keegan would like Foe to stay and knows there are others lining up to attract the popular player but will not be held to ransom in a buyer's market for a man who has only one year left on his contract with Lyon.

"We have sent a fax to Lyon telling them that we will not be taking up the option we had and that we would like to talk to them," confirmed the manager.

"We will be in communication with them again over the next week. A lot of things have got to fall into place for a deal to happen.

"They have got to be willing to take a reduction in what his value was this time last year when the market place was different.

Buyer's market

"He played with tonsillitis last weekend and he perhaps didn't have his normal energy levels but he didn't make excuses and he is a great professional.

"I have had a meeting with him and I know he would like to stay. I also know that there are other clubs waiting. What we don't know is what Lyon are really going to ask those other clubs for him given that Marc only has one year of his contract left.

"Another loan is not an option because in essence that would mean Lyon freeing him to us. They may take a reduce fee and cut their losses or they may take the opposite view and decide to keep Marc for the final year of his contract, we will not know until we speak to them.

"We can look at it all we like and propose this or that but Marc is Lyon's player and it is up to them.

"The game has changed at the moment, most clubs are not bothered when their players come within twelve or eighteen months of the end of their contracts.

"Not long ago managers used to have agents phoning up and saying 'my player has only two and a half years left you know'. The financial climate has changed all that.

"Now they know two-and- a-half years is a lifetime in football, that is how much things have changed."

Another City player facing an uncertain future is youngster Chris Shuker.

The striker's one-month temporary deal at Walsall expires following the Saddlers' trip to Crystal Palace today and he has yet to hear whether boss Colin Lee wants the loan extended.

Shuker, 20, has made just four appearances and failed to score since joining the First Division strugglers.

He made his Walsall debut in the 2-1 win at Bradford City but was substituted in the next two games and then started on the bench for fixtures against Burnley and Preston North End.

Wigan Athletic boss Paul Jewell is one of the managers monitoring Shuker's progress and could step in should Walsall not offer him a deal. Keegan has told the young Liverpudlian that he can leave City at the end of the season.